Question 1

Does this give you an hd picture?  1080i, 1080p, 720p?

Accepted Answer

I don't know of any channels that transmit in 1080p but I have a few that are 1080i and other lower resolutions and they look really good. You will need an antennae (eBay $30) and you may want to buy that first. 
Next hook it up to your tv and see if you have channels before you buy this converter.
Note there is a 1080p setting in this box's menu and I just went ahead and set it to HDMI output 1080p. Works good but living in the hills of outer Seattle area, some channels come in and others don't.

Question 2

what type of input(s) does this unit have. (composite, rf, hdmi, audio)?

Accepted Answer

Inputs
- RF only

Outputs
- RF (selectable: modulated to Channel 3, Channel 4 or pass-through)
- HDMI
- Component (Y/Pb/Pr)
- Composite
- Analog Audio (L/R)
- Digital Audio - Coaxial

Download the manual at http://www.mediasonic.ca/files/1382658003_0.pdf.

Hope this is helpful.

Question 3

I am looking for an economical DVR solution, but I don't need conversion to analog. Can this device record without converting? If not, does the conversion process result in any noticable decrease in video quality?

I want a device that can record programs, just like we did with a VCR for years and years, without subscribing to some sort of service. I don't understand why you suddenly need an expensive service to record what you used to be able to record for free.

Would this device suit my needs? is the essential question.

Accepted Answer

To answer your question simply, yes. All you need to do is connect the RF in of the converter to your antenna, and plug in a USB storage device into the front connector, and you're all set up to record, either immediately or timed. Since the converter only records in .mts format, which doesn't do a whole lot of compression, you will find that HD recordings will use something like 4-5Gig per hour, so I suggest that your storage device be at least 32 Gigs for comfort. I've used a thumb drive, an SD card with an adapter, and an external hard drive, and they all work fine.  
Two final points: the output of the converter can be HDMI or composite video/audio, as well as the RF out jack, and finally, keep in mind that this device does not do any editing for you, so if you record programs off the air and want to get rid of any ads, you'll have to do that on a computer.
Overall, this is a very good way to get DVR cheaply.

Question 4

Can you use an external hard drive to store shows, instead of a USB?

Accepted Answer

Yes. It works best with an external USB hard drive. I used a Seagate 2.5" USB powered  portable hard drive, and a 3.5" AC adapter powered USB external desktop hard drive. Both work great for recording, playback & pausing live TV with time-shifted playback. USB Flash Drives (memory sticks) appear to be too slow for smooth HD playback. I tried 2 different brands of 64GB Flash Drive, 1 FAT32, 1 NTFS. Playback of recorded programs stuttered. Neither worked for pausing live TV.

Question 5

Is the remote Radio Frequency or IR?

Accepted Answer

The HomeWorx has an IR remote control.. I have used this unit for over 1 year and am very pleased with it's performance.  Highly recommended.

Question 6

Do I need to purchase an antenna to use with this unit or will the unit "suck" the feed out of the air on its own?

Accepted Answer

All converter boxes need some type of antenna to receive the signal.

We still just use the outside roof antenna that we used for our old TV, and it works fine to pull in all the main channels. But one of the new antenna's designed for digital TV will probably work better. It sounds like you get what you pay for though. So if you need to purchase an antenna. Make sure to do some research first.

Question 7

Does this work in integration with Xbox One? Can Xbox One control its channels?

Accepted Answer

No, I bought it hoping that it would work with my new Xbox One but it does not. You can look the brand 'HomeWorX' under the cable box settings under devices in TV settings on your Xbox and it just doesn't show up.

Question 8

To use this box as a recorder I have to have either a usb or external hard drive connected to it?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can use a USB thumb drive, an SD card through a USB adapter or an external USB hard or solid state drive.  Be aware that many thumb drives have write speeds that are too slow to allow you to record HD programs on them with stuttering and drop outs. If you do want to use a thumb drive, I recommend using one with USB 3.0, since they tend to be faster devices.  Also, I haven't had any trouble using Cat 10 SD cards.

Question 9

How many hours of recording time does it have?

Accepted Answer

That depends on two things: the size of the storage media you use and the resolution of transmitted program.  The storage is attached through the USB port of the box, and can be a thumb drive, an SD card through an adapter, or a USB drive.  I've used all three, but haven't used any flash device bigger than 32 Gigs.  The amount of storage needed for a program depends on its resolution.  For HD programs, you will need to store about 5-6 Gig/hour.  For standard def programs, you need maybe 1/4 to 1/3 of that.

Question 10

I already have a flat screen digital TV and an OTA antenna.  I would like to use it for recording.  Does it HAVE TO BE USED with an older analog TV, or can I use it to record programs straight from my  digital TV?

Accepted Answer

It does not record from your tv. It records from its internal OTA tuner. This internal tuner needs to have a regular antenna (amplified or non) connected to it in order for it to get reception from your local city  television stations like a CBS, NBC, FOX affliate. You can connect HomeWorx to your HDTV by hdmi to view the output from the device. You would have to change to proper input/source on your tv to see HomeWorx menu similar to the way you switch to a dvd player to its menu screen. You also need to connect an external hard drive to HomeWorx so it can record the shows for later viewing. Depending how your local city stations deliver tv information of each show, the Homeworx can see that info and help you select the correct show to record. If the channel you are watching does not have tv show information, then you can manually set channel, time, and daily or weekly.

Questions & Answers